Apparatus for and Method of Processing Image Information to Group Image Data Pieces Based on Shooting Intervals.

1. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to shooting intervals; an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to an evaluation item based on a sum of shooting durations of the image data pieces belonging to each group obtained by each of the grouping steps; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores.

2. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time and a shooting interval, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to the shooting intervals; an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined evaluation items; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores, wherein: the determination unit determines a specific one of the grouping steps according to gradient variations representative of the grouping steps on a function that is based on the calculated scores.

3. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time and a shooting interval, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to the shooting intervals; an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined evaluation items; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores, wherein: the determination unit determines a specific one of the grouping steps according to curvatures representative of the grouping steps on a curve that is defined by the calculated scores.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a display control unit configured to display selectable indexes that correspond to groups of the image data pieces, respectively, the groups being formed in the determined specific grouping step.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein: if one of the indexes is selected, the display control unit displays images representative of the image data pieces contained in the group corresponding to the selected index.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein: the display control unit displays the number of image data pieces contained in each group, together with the index corresponding to the image data pieces in the group.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein: the display control unit displays a thumbnail image obtained from image data pieces contained in each group, as the index corresponding to the image data pieces contained in the group.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein: the display control unit displays textual information obtained from image data pieces contained in each group, as the index corresponding to the image data pieces contained in the group.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the determination unit presets an upper limit for the number of image data pieces in each group and again determines a specific one of the grouping steps so that the number of image data pieces in each group formed in the specific grouping step may not exceed the upper limit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the display control unit sends a maximum number of indexes displayable in a display screen to the determination unit; and the determination unit again determines a specific one of the grouping steps so that groups formed in the specific grouping step may keep the maximum number of indexes.

11. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time and a shooting interval, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to the shooting intervals; a first evaluation unit configured to calculate a first score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined first evaluation items; a second evaluation unit configured to calculate a second score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined second evaluation items; and a determination unit configured to find curvatures representative of the grouping steps on a curve that is defined by the first scores, find grouping steps corresponding to minimal values of the second scores, and determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the curvatures and the minimal-value-corresponding grouping steps.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: a display control unit configured to display selectable indexes that correspond to groups of the image data pieces, respectively, the groups being formed in the determined specific grouping step.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein: if one of the indexes is selected, the display control unit displays images representative of the image data pieces contained in the group corresponding to the selected index.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein: the display control unit displays the number of image data pieces contained in each group, together with the index corresponding to the image data pieces in the group.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein: the display control unit displays a thumbnail image obtained from image data pieces contained in each group, as the index corresponding to the image data pieces contained in the group.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein: the display control unit displays textual information obtained from image data pieces contained in each group, as the index corresponding to the image data pieces contained in the group.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: the determination unit presets an upper limit for the number of image data pieces in each group and again determines a specific one of the grouping steps so that the number of image data pieces in each group formed in the specific grouping step may not exceed the upper limit.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: the display control unit sends a maximum number of indexes displayable in a display screen to the determination unit; and the determination unit again determines a specific one of the grouping steps so that groups formed in the specific grouping step may keep the maximum number of indexes.

19. A method of processing image information in an apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time, the method comprising: grouping the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to shooting intervals; calculating a score for each of the grouping steps according to an evaluation item based on a sum of shooting durations of the image data pieces belonging to each group obtained by each of the grouping steps; and determining a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the evaluation unit uses an evaluation item based on average and variance of the sum of shooting durations of the image data pieces belonging to each group obtained by each of the grouping steps.

21. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to shooting intervals; an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to an evaluation item based on central time in each group obtained by each of the grouping steps; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores.

22. An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time, comprising: a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to shooting intervals; an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to an evaluation item based on a variance of shooting intervals among the image data pieces belonging to each group obtained by each of the grouping steps; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores, wherein: the determination unit determines a specific one of the grouping steps from among those whose calculated scores take minimal values.

23. A method of processing image information in an apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time and a shooting interval, comprising: grouping the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to the shooting intervals; calculating a first score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined first evaluation items; calculating a second score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined second evaluation items; finding curvatures representative of the grouping steps on a curve that is defined by the first scores; finding grouping steps corresponding to minimal values of the second scores; and determining a specific one of the grouping steps according to the curvatures and the minimal-value-corresponding grouping steps.